YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
Jeff and Kym Russell’s first branch of Russell Cellular was their Dodge Omni. In 1993, the Russell’s started selling mobile phones based out of their living room and the trunk of their car. Considering Jeff had never even used a mobile phone, the company has grown exponentially since those days and this year Russell Cellular celebrates 25 years in business.
The couple knew it was important to have policies and procedures in place before they even got started selling phones door-to-door. That structure laid the foundation for the success they enjoy today. “We treated our business like it was a big business when it was small,” says Jeff Russell. “We set up policies, procedures and structure, and that allowed our business to grow.”
Today the company boasts over 2700 employees with more than 640 stores in 37 states and is still growing. In 2018 Russell Cellular was invited by Verizon to be one of its Big 6 retailers, meaning it is one of the six largest Verizon retailers in the country, and also received the top honor winning Verizon’s Partner of the Year award. The company grew by 20% within the first two years of being named one of the Big 6.
Offering Springfield area residents an opportunity to have a lasting career has been a top value for Jeff and Kym. Many of the corporate level team members started in entry-level positions and have worked their way up the ladder to the corporate office, including Jeff and Kym’s son Jeven. He started in the inventory department when he was 16 years old and earned promotions throughout his 11 year employment and is currently Vice President of Operations.
As the company has grown, the need for space grew too. The company currently has four separate headquarter buildings in Springfield and Battlefield but by the end of 2019 will move into a brand new 40,000 square foot corporate home office in Battlefield. The building will house a new state of the art training facility to support team member training and mobilization nationwide.
The culture of a company can change with such a rapid amount of exponential growth. But Jeff and Kym have been committed to maintaining that family feel. “We value our team members, and continually invest in training and leadership to cultivate that family atmosphere,” says Kym.
Investing in community is also something Russell Cellular is committed to. Russell Cellular created the RC Cares initiative in order to give back to the communities in which Russell Cellular does business. Russell Cellular stores sell Hedgie’s Hometown Heroes PopSockets, with 100% of the profits going back into communities. Through this initiative RC Cares was recently able to donate $3200 through Ambassadors for Children to Kids’ Closet, a Springfield organization that provides clothes for foster children.
The company also believes in rewarding hard work and celebrating the value of team by hosting a semiannual leadership conference right here in Springfield. When it comes to serving customers and communities and setting up employees for success Kym recently shared at the company’s 25th year celebration, “We don’t need to be the largest, we just want to be the best.”
Russell Cellular
Address: 5624 S. State Hwy FF, Battlefield, MO 65619
Phone: 417-877-6650
Web: russellcellular.com
Service: Cell Phones
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